The United States’ Olympic men’s basketball team arrived in Macau, China, on Monday to continue prepping for its Olympic opener in Beijing against Yao Ming and the Chinese team on Aug. 10.

The Mike Krzyzewski-coached and (take your choice) Kobe Bryant-, LeBron James- or Jason Kidd-led team will face Turkey (Thursday) and Lithuania (Friday), then goes to Shanghai for two more exhibitions with Russia (Sunday) and Australia (a week from today) before heading to Beijing.

In an Associated Press story published Monday, Macau is referred to as “this southern Chinese casino enclave.”

Hmmmm.

A qualifying tournament held in Las Vegas last summer, and training camp and an exhibition (Friday night as Canada played the Washington Generals to the U.S.’s Harlem Globetrotters, 120-65) in Las Vegas a few weeks before Olympic competition begins.

And then a couple of exhibition games are to be played in a “southern Chinese casino enclave.”

Is anyone else detecting a pattern of sorts?

Anyway, I don’t think Kobe,

LeBron & Co. are going to run the house on every opponent they face in Beijing.

But I’d be something between “mildly” and “considerably” surprised if the U.S. players don’t hit the jackpot and leave China with something golden to stow in their carry-on bags on the trip home.

Expect “competitive” (and that could end up being a relative term) Pool B games for the U.S. against Germany (led by Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas and Chris Kaman of the Clippers), Greece (which beat the U.S. in the World Championships two summers ago before losing to Spain in the final) and Spain (which lost to Russia in the European Championships in the spring and is led by multiple NBA players, including Pau Gasol of the Lakers and his brother, Marc, of Memphis).

Once things get into medal play, Spain (based on sheer talent) and Greece (inside strength, half-court defense and offensive execution) could bump into the U.S. again, with Group A clubs Argentina (the 2004 gold medal winner, not nearly as strong, it seems, as it was four years ago), Australia (Milwaukee’s Andrew Bogut would be a tough matchup for the U.S.) Croatia, Lithuania and Russia (much improved in recent years) potential obstacles, as well.

Prediction: The U.S. will beat Spain in the gold medal game, with Russia edging Greece in the contest for bronze.

Question: How will public sentiment treat Jerry Colangelo and Krzyzewski if the U.S. comes back sans gold? (Colangelo was given carte blanche to oversee the construction and maintenance of the national team by USA Basketball following the 2004 Athens Games, when the Larry Brown-coached team lost three times but still won the bronze medal.)

Answer: It will not treat them very kindly.

The best half-dozen prospects I watched in the three high school travel team tournaments held in Las Vegas last week were (in roughly this order); 6-4 sophomore Tony Wroten (Seattle Garfield), 6-10 senior John Henson (Round Rock in Texas, near Houston), 6-4 senior John Wall (Word of God Academy in Raleigh, N.C.), 6-3 junior Brandon Knight (Pine Crest in Coral Springs, Fla.), 6-9 Derrick Favors (South Atlanta) and 6-2 Avery Bradley (Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma, Wash.).

By the way, in the story I wrote for Saturday’s paper, I mentioned some of the better guards produced in the Seattle area and I forgot to mention a pretty good one: Brandon Roy.

The performances of guard Gary Franklin and forward Andy Brown of Mater Dei, while playing for the California Supreme team that won the Main Event (upsetting Houston Hoops in the title game Saturday at Spring Valley High), and the multitude of Dominguez players who were scattered among several teams in the tournaments, once again illustrated why the Monarchs and Dons will be the two top-ranked clubs in Southern California next season.

Denzel Washington and his wife, Paulette, were on hand to watch their son, strong and clever point guard Malcolm (Windward High), play for the Double Pump Elite team during the adidas Super 64 in Las Vegas last weekend.

The Oscar winner in the family sat on the bench (and not passively, either) during the team’s loss to the Canadian Grassroots Elite team at Loyola Marymount on Sunday afternoon in a Best of Summer Tournament game.

The Best of Summer event, which includes many of the teams that played in the adidas-sponsored tournament in Las Vegas that was won by the Canadian team Saturday night in a double-overtime game with the Compton Magic, wraps up Thursday afternoon – the last day college coaches can watch games during the NCAA’s summer evaluation period.

The Fullcourt Press Cream of the Crop Challenge began Monday morning at Cabrillo High and concludes with its gold division championship game Wednesday night at 6:30.

A lot of area players, including Kyle Richardson (Mayfair), Derrick Williams (La Mirada), Devonte Elliott (Paramount), D’Angelo Scott (Lynwood) and the plethora of prospects from the Dominguez program, continued to help their college stock with their play in Las Vegas.

Several college coaches, including Dan Monson of Long Beach State (accompanied by assistant Eric Brown), watched Richardson (playing for Team Blue Chip of Bellflower) closely at LMU on Sunday night.

Incoming LBSU freshmen forwards Eugene Phelps and T.J. Robinson both played well during Say No League games at The Hanger Athletic Exchange in Hawthorne over the weekend.

Each will have the opportunity to get significant playing time season for the 49ers, who open their regular season with two games in three days on the road against projected NCAA Tournament participants BYU and Wisconsin on Nov. 14 and 16.

Pitcher Derrick Dingeman, who had a 5-2 record with four saves and a 1.90 earned run average for Coach Spud O’Neil’s Lakewood High Lancers this past season, has signed a letter of intent with the Cal State Fullerton Titans.

Dingeman, a right-hander who is throwing for the Connie Mack League Rhinos this summer, was 2-0 with a 1.15 ERA and two saves as a junior.

Here is one way I could become a millionaire:

Some billionaire could pay me $100,000 for every magnetic key that I’ve forgotten to leave in the room or at the front desk as I’ve checked out of the hotel, only to discover this as I’m clearing my pants pockets as I’m preparing to go through the X-ray while going through security at an airport terminal.

If I continue that habit I’ll be able to tile a bathroom floor with all of those keys some day.

Mack Calvin is one of the best basketball players produced by Poly High and also played at Long Beach City College and USC before playing in both the old ABA and the NBA and having several pro, college and high school coaching stops.

He is holding his 35th Youth Fundamental Camp at Cabrillo High, Aug. 11-15, for boys and girls ages 8 to 17.

Join the Conversation

We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.

If you see comments that you find offensive, please use the “Flag as Inappropriate” feature by hovering over the right side of the post, and pulling down on the arrow that appears. Or, contact our editors by emailing moderator@scng.com.